Israel has said it will resist international pressure to stop its aerial bombardment of Gaza, which has claimed more than 100 Palestinian lives, as Hamas kept up its rocket fire against the Jewish state.

Diplomatic efforts to end the hostilities have gathered pace, with US President Barack Obama phoning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Washington offered to leverage its relationships in the Middle East to help end the hostilities.

Speaking at a news conference late Friday in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu said he would not end the military campaign until he achieved his goal of stopping the Hamas fire.